Russian T-80 deploys instant
smoke, to foil a simulated attack. Under the cover, the tank would
reposition to avoid the threat.

To augment the
massive armor of modern AFVs, new Active Protection System (APS)
or "active defense suite" concepts are developed, for heavy AFVs
(main battle tanks), light tanks, wheeled armored vehicles, and
armored infantry fighting vehicles. An active defense system
commonly utilize various means of protection, activated at very
close range, and designed to destroy, disrupt or degrade an
incoming missile or projectile, thus eliminating or reducing its
penetration capability.

Active Protection Systems commonly consist
of an array of soft- and hard-kill techniques. Soft-kill methods,
similar to Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM) in aircraft, seduce
and confuse an incoming missile, by using decoys, smoke and
electro-optical signals, infrared or laser jamming. Other concepts
which include
"Hard-kill" means, are designed to intercept and destroy the incoming
projectile or missile before it hits its target. Countermeasures
include fragmentation charges, steel bars,
high pressure shock waves that will destroy the threat,
destabilize or disrupt it flight path, or divert it from its
course. The optimal implementation of APS should be
"design-dependent" thus, make it adaptable to tracked or a wheeled
vehicle as well as fixed positions. Most of the currently
available systems are, however, too heavy and are therefore suitable
only for AFVs with weight
class over 25 tons. (In photo - US Army M-1A1 equipped with the
VLQ-6 MCD system and M6 countermeasure dispensers, in Iraq, 2003)